Bakersfield, CA vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $11,576, a 525% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Bakersfield, CA and Boston, MA both land at 56/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Boston, MA carries $445 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 84.0% more per capita than Bakersfield ($60,723/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $2,784 |
| Other | $1,915 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $594 |
| Education | $0 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $1,110 |
| Health | $0 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $711 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $355 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $3,234 | $18,955 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.